Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS):

To sustain the reforms brought in by the ongoing scheme of ‘End to End Computerization of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) Operations’ the Department of Food & Public Distribution, Government of India has launched a new scheme namely "Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS)” w.e.f 1st April 2018 for implementation in all States/UTs.

The main objective of the IM-PDS scheme is to implement nation-wide portability of benefits under NFSA i.e. eligible households/beneficiaries covered under NFSA shall be able to lift their entitled foodgrains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) of their choice in the country by using their same/existing ration card after biometric/Aadhaar authentication on electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) device at the FPS in a destination/sale State/UT through ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ System by integrating the existing PDS systems/portals of States/UTs with the Central systems/portals under Central Repository of all NFSA ration cards/beneficiaries. The creation of a Central Repository of all ration cards/beneficiary data of all States/UTs shall ensures that no duplicate ration card/beneficiary exist in any State/UT under NFSA.

Under this system, any eligible migratory beneficiary, if desires, may receive his/her quota of subsidised foodgrains in another State/UT/district by just providing the existing/same ration card number having his/her name to any FPS dealer in the destination State/UT of their migration and may lift the available entitlements after biometric/Aadhaar authentication on ePoS device.,

The Inter State potability was launched in two clusters of two adjoining States, namely Andhra Pradesh & Telangana and Maharashtra & Gujarat w.e.f. August 2019. So far this facility is enabled in 28 States/UTs, namely- Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Dadar Nagar Heveli & Daman Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura,Uttar Pradesh & Uttarakhand.

Besides national portability, following are some of the other key focus areas of the IM-PDS scheme:

I. National level de-duplication of all ration cards/beneficiaries’ data.

II. Integration of States/UTs PDS systems/applications with Central PDS systems/applications.

III.Use of advanced data analytics techniques to bring about continuous improvements in PDS operations.

IV.Development of advanced web and mobile based applications.

V. Facilitation of cross-learning and sharing of best practices between States/UTs, etc. Details of transactions under National portability are available on following web link: http://www.impds.nic.in/portal